At least 149 people were killed nationwide, many of them in the crackdown on the protest sites. Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and pro-reform leader in the interim government, resigned in protest over the crackdown as the military-backed leadership imposed a monthlong state of emergency and nighttime curfew.”

Tweets @PJCrowley, former State Department spokesman: “The latest on #Egypt's democracy restoration: generals appointed governors and security forces clash with protesters. Is it a coup yet?” Not yet, according to the White House.

POP QUIZ: WHO QUOTED ‘POOH’ LAST NIGHT? — “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” Answer at the end…

THIS IS PRO REPORT. It’s Wednesday. Rachael Bade is on vacation. You’re not. But it’s almost the weekend, and this week is goin’ faster than the Hyperloop (seriously, how cool is that thing?!). Talk to me: kcirilli@politico.com Twitter: @kevcirilli and @POLITICOPro.

OK, back to work…

THE BIG NEWS IS EGYPT — WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS VIOLENCE, WON’T SAY ‘COUP,’ via POLITICO’s Reid Epstein: “The White House on Wednesday denounced Egypt’s latest round of political violence and announced its opposition to the ‘State of Emergency’ law imposed by the ruling military. And yet spokesman Josh Earnest, continuing the administration’s long-standing policy, declined to weigh in on specific grievances at play in Egypt, and would not say whether the United States considers the overthrow of the country’s elected government constitutes a coup. ...

‘We have determined that it is not in the best interest of the United States to make that determination [if it is a coup],’ Earnest said [during a presser at Martha’s Vineyard, where Obama is vacationing]. ‘There’s no question that the violence that we saw overnight is a step in the wrong direction. … It is an indication that they are not currently following through on their promise to transition back to a democratically elected civilian government.’” http://politi.co/15EV174

EMPTY JOBS PLAGUE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: Boss on vacation? If you work for Obama, you might not have a boss! My POLITICO mentor Edward-Isaac Dovere reports: “More than six months into his second term, Obama has left top positions throughout his administration vacant, or filled by acting officials. In many cases, he hasn’t even nominated people for the jobs … The [administration argues] that Senate Republicans are massively disrupting the president’s personnel plans by refusing to confirm his nominees and insist none of these vacancies affect operations. … That hasn’t convinced a growing number of frustrated Democrats …”

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) tells Isaac: “Some very good people are called on to serve on an acting basis. But for those people and everyone else at the agency, there’s always a question: ‘Is this person still going to be around next week or next month?’ There’s a lack of continuity and predictability. … Does this person really speak for the administration?’” http://politi.co/14Lyax8

…SPEAKING OF JOBS, Pro Report met with millennial think tank Generation Opportunity yesterday at O’Sullivan’s in Clarendon. We couldn’t get over Gallup’s June job numbers — only 43.6 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds have a full-time job. Sigh.

Huma Abedin was a no-show at last night’s NYC mayoral debate. Double sigh.

MORE FROM WEINER-WORLD: Quinnipiac puts him at fourth with 10 percent. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio leads with 30 percent, then City Council Speaker Christine Quinn at 24 percent. Weiner tried to play offense at last night’s debate but — well, we’ll let you decide.

SHOT: “I’ve owned up to my personal failings. But I have a record that I am proud of and I’m going to be honest with the citizens of the city, and that’s not something [Quinn] can claim,” Weiner said. Quinn with the CHASER: “I think it’s very clear to all New Yorkers that neither me nor anybody else on this stage — or any New Yorker, quite frankly — should be lectured by Anthony Weiner about what we need to apologize for tonight, or ever.” Video: http://politi.co/1cNriBy

DEEP THOUGHTS WITH PRO REPORT: At what point is Weiner no longer a national punch line but a sad, cautionary tale of a burnt-out middle-aged man in a reality TV, social media, fame- and sex-hungry political culture fueled by a 24-hour tabloid cable-news cycle? … NOT ANY TIME SOON! Clintonworld is at war with Weiner, POLITICO’s Maggie Haberman reports: http://politi.co/17NeZho

RNC OFFICIALS ARE HOLED UP IN BOSTON — BUT IT’S NO TEA PARTY: POLITICO’s James Hohmann with an inside look at the RNC summer shindig: “The party’s short-term goal is to better coordinate with sister committees and state parties in 2013 and 2014. The long-term goal is to build a permanent campaign apparatus that will help elect a new president in 2016. … After the GOP’s poor showing with Latinos and African-Americans last November, the RNC now has [HQ staff] working to provide the playbook for each demographic in each state.” http://politi.co/16KUZNB

R.I.P. MR. GERMOND: Jack Germond, 85, died Wednesday morning. Germond covered politics for a half-century. ICYMI in Playbook: His wife, Alice Germond, secretary of DNC, emailed friends: “…He lived a marvelous, full and well loved life. ... He was fortunate to spend his life working at a job he would have done for free during some halcyon times in the newspaper business.” The AP’s Walter Mears, colleague and friend: “His style of political reporting was an art form.” Share memories with Mike: mallen@politico.com for tomorrow’s Playbook.

**A message from POWERJobs: New jobs on our radar this week: Manager, Program Operations at U.S. Chamber of Commerce, VP of Public Policy & Communications at NPAG and Business Development Director at Evolver. Interested? Apply to these jobs and more at POWERJobs.com; finally, a career site made for YOU!**

TOP POLICY NEWS:

WHEN CAN WE RIDE THE HYPERLOOP? “For now, it looks like the next Segway dud,” Pro Transportation reporter Kevin Robillard emails us. But wait — there’s hope! Robillard reports today on why Republicans might like the idea as a way to bash California’s new high-speed rail project. You know, the one funded by the Obama stimulus:

“For Republicans and interest groups looking to stop construction of the stimulus-funded project connecting San Diego and Sacramento, entrepreneur Elon Musk’s futuristic transportation vision is yet another reason to oppose high-speed rail. … Musk contends a Hyperloop could transport people from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 35 minutes by shooting them through massive steel tubes at speeds exceeding 700 mph while they’re enclosed in aluminum pods — much faster and cheaper than the rail project. And while Musk doesn’t intend to ... build anytime soon, the concept is intriguing to high-speed rail critics.” More: http://politico.pro/16atiyP

…TWITTER IS STILL THE FUTURE! Think you’re addicted to Twitter? Researchers analyzed 537 million tweets. The percentage of tweets mentioning congressional candidates in 2010 and 2012 correlated positively with their votes, Indiana University Bloomington researchers found. National Journal’s Alex Roarty reports: http://bit.ly/16MUkx1

REGULATORS GO AFTER FORMER WALL STREET EMPLOYEES, via Zachary Warmbrodt: “The DOJ and SEC on Wednesday filed charges against two former JPMorgan Chase employees, accusing the duo of trying to cover up hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of losses stemming from the bank’s now infamous ‘London Whale’ trades. The charges are the latest and most dramatic fallout from a trading debacle the bank’s hierarchy first dismissed in early 2012 as being overblown but that eventually led to a reshuffling of its top executives while putting a dent in the once sterling reputation of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. For now, it remains unclear if the case will end with the charges brought by prosecutors and regulators against the two former London-based employees or if the goal is to ensnare executives further up the food chain.” http://politico.pro/16bQ1KA

We wonder: Will this settle Sen. Elizabeth Warren and those who consistently are calling on the feds to file charges against Wall Street?

GLASS-STEAGALL RESOLUTION SHATTERED: We told you yesterday a bunch of state pols (partly inspired by Warren) want Congress to reinstate Glass-Steagall. Later yesterday, GOP state Sen. Catherine Cloutier yanked her resolution she had introduced at the National Conference of State Legislatures. No word why. “I know some of the people that are still for the resolution may try to bring it up on the floor on Thursday, but that would be extremely difficult,” NCSL Director Neal Osten told me.

UNDER THE RADAR: STATES WANT DRONE CONTRACTS — Sure, pols are quick to question drones. But as Pro Defense’s Leigh Munsil points out, 24 states submitted proposals to the FAA to be test sites for unmanned aircrafts, which could fuel statewide economic growth. Only six will be chosen. http://politico.pro/14LJIh7

TRIVIA ANSWER: "Pooh" author A.A. Milne, as quoted by the always-quotable Cory Booker in the mayor’s Facebook status last night following his primary win. POLITICO’s Katie Glueck with the recap: http://politi.co/1a3Szi4

THURSDAY’S OUTLOOK:

— Report on vulnerable nuclear reactors released: The Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project will release its report on U.S. nuclear reactor sites that are inadequately protected from terrorist attacks.

— Author Jay Richards discusses new book "Infiltrated" at AEI along with a panel of experts discussing the 2008 financial crisis. http://bit.ly/15yVA5K

**A message from POWERJobs: Tap into the power of POWERJOBS for the newest job opportunities in the Washington area from the area’s top employers, including The Boeing Company, National Propane Gas Association, TASC, Visa and METRO. Powered by names you trust — POLITICO, WTOP, WJLA/ABC-TV, NewsChannel 8 and Federal News Radio — POWERJOBS is the ultimate career site with more than 2 million job searches and nearly 17,000 applications submitted this year so far. Connect through Facebook or LinkedIn, search jobs by industry and set up job-specific email alerts using POWERJobs.com, the site for Washington’s top talent.**